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J. H. BROWN. Machine for Gathering -and Pressing Fluted Fabrics.

No. 235,067. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

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J. H..BROWN.

Machine for Gathering and Pressing Fluted Pabric s.

No. 235,067. Patented Dec. 7,1880.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOE TO FREDERICK A. KURSHEEDT, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING AND PRESSING FLUTED FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,067, dated December 7, 1880.

Application filed February 28, 1880v 7'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BROWN, of the city of New York, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Forming Flutings for Ruches, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for making flutings for ruches in which the cambric or other fabric has been plaited or fluted and is fed through the machine in that condition.

The object of my improvement is to provide such a machine with a device for regulating the closeness of flutes or gathers in the fabric, substantially as hereinafter described. Such a machine is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures of said drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a ruche pressing and feeding machine provided with my device for regulating the fullness of the flutes or gathers. Fig. 2 is a top view of said machine. Fig. 3 is an end view, showing the device for rendering the regulator adjustable to different degrees of speed.

The construction of the machine, so far as it consists of a device for feeding the flutings or other goods through the same, is substantially similar to the machine invented by me and shown in the patent granted to me, said JOHN H. BROWN, and dated the 21st day of December, 1875, No. 171,264.

H is a supporting-table, over which the fluted or gathered fabric is fed. It should be provided with side guides, JJ, for the purpose of securing proper direction for the fabric. The feeding over this supporting-surface is accomplished by means of wheels or rollers B G and D E. Such wheels or rollers may be made to carry a band, I I, upon their peripheries. If the rollers or wheels B O are placed near enough together, the band I I will gradually flatten down a portion of the fluted fabric which is passed through the machine; but the wheels or rollers B C may be adjusted, by means of the screws K K, (see Fig. 3,) so that their peripheries will not be in contact, in which case they and the band I I will act merely to feed the fluted fabric through the machine without permanently pressing down or flattening any portion of it. In case the wheels B O are set so far apart that their peripheries do not come in contact, spur or cog wheels larger than [1 M will be required, so that they may engage with each other. Over the supporting-surface for the fluted fabric is arranged the device for regulating the closeness of the flutes or gathers with reference to each other. This device is shown at F. it is a shaft or wheel provided with projections G G G upon its surface at regular distances apart. This shaft or wheel F is operated by means of the beveled belt-pulley N, Fig. 3. This beveled belt-pulley is run by a belt from the second beveled belt-pulley, O, Fig. 3. The beveling of the two beveled belt-pulleys runs in opposite directions, so that a belt from one to the other will always be about the same length on whichever portion of the pulleys it is adjusted. The beveled pulley O is operated by a small spur or cog wheel, T, which engages with the spur-wheels L M. It is evident that by means of the two beveled pulleys, connected by their "belt, as hereinbefore described, a wide variation in speed may be given to the device for regulating the fullness of the flutes or gathers. If the belt is adjusted upon the small end of the beveled pulley which is upon the shaft of the regulating device such regulating device will more much quicker than if the belt is upon the other end of the pulley.

At P is a pipe intended for connection with a steam-boiler, by means of which the fabric passing through the machine may be moistened by ajet of steam.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The fluted fabric, which has been already fluted or crimped by passing through any suitable machine for that purpose, is placed upon the supporting-surface H and between the guides J J and passed between the feeding-surfaces and under the device for regulating the fullness of the flutes. If the speed of the device for regulating the fullness of the flutes is so adjusted by means of the beveled pulleys and their belt as to run with a speed exactly equal to the speed of the feeding device, the projections G on the periphery of the shaft or wheel F will severally enter between the separate flutes, and though no effect would be produced upon the fullness or closeness together of the flutes or gathers, yet the regulator will insure a regular and even distance of the flutes from each other; but if the regulating device F is so adjusted as to run faster than the feed of the machine the efiect of the insertion of the revolving projections Gr Gr G G between the separate flutes will be to crowd them up to gether, and thus cause the fabric to have a much greater fullness of flutes or crimps than it would have if it were not subjected to the action of the regulator; and if the regulator is so adjusted. as to run slower than the feed the flutes will, for like reason, be stretched apart.

By means of this device it is apparent that any desired fullness or closeness together of the flutes can be given in passing through the machine.

The feeding-rollers B G should be heated, or the supporting-surface of the goods should be heated, so as to dry any moisture imparted to the fluted fabric, either by the stea|n-pipe P or otherwise, before or after entering the machine. The heating may be done by a gasjet or bysteam, or in any other suitable manner.

When a gas-jet is used for heating the rollers the smoke will be carried off by a chimney, R. The result will be that the fluted fabric will be dried in the condition, as to fullness or closeness of the flutes or crimps, that it is caused to assume by the operation of the regulatin g device. If it is desired to flatten portions of the flutes or crimps down during this operation the wheels B C will be adjusted in close proximity to each other, in which case the flutes or crimps will not only be given the required fullness or closeness, but a portion of them will be pressed or flattened down.

It is evident that other feeding devices than the Wheels B G or the bands I I may be substituted without departing from my invention, in case a flattening of a portion of the flutes or crimps is not required.

By means of this device any required fullness to flutes may be given with much greater regularity and certainty and in a much more economical and speedy manner than by any other mode with which I am acquainted.

Any desired number of flutes to a given length of fabric may be readily obtained-say five, or ten, or even more, to the inch.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a supporting-surface for fluted fabrics and a feeding device for propelling the same, of a rotating regulator for governing the fullness or closeness of the flutes or crimps of such fabric, constructed substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a supporting-surface suitable for fluted fabrics and a rotating regulator for governing the fullness of such flutes after they are formed, substantially as described, of the band or pressing Wheels for flattening a portion of such fluted fabrics during their passage through the machine, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the rotating regulator for governing the fullness of fluted fabrics. substantially as described, beveled band-pulleys for adjusting and regulating the speed of such regulating device, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a supporting-surface for fluted fabrics and a rotating regulator for regulating the fullness of the flutes or crimps after they are formed, a heated surface, substantially such as is described, for the purpose of drying such flutes or crimps in the position which they are caused to assume by the regulating device.

5. In combination with a machine for feeding fluted fabrics, and provided with a rotating regulator, substantially as described, a steam-jet pipe so arranged and located that the fabric will be moistened by the steam before being set or pressed and dried in its final form, substantially as described.

JOHN H. BROWN. Witnesses:

J os. W. P. HOWELL, THOS. I MURPHY. 

